If you want your family to eat less sugar or you are trying to lose weight, this book would be an excellent addition to your cookbook library.
It is full of helpful information about Stevia, the "sweet" herb that is also calorie free.
The first part of the Stevia Cookbook talks about the history of Stevia - both since the beginning and in modern times.
Here is an interesting question: why, despite the fact that Stevia is popular in Asia and has also been in use by South American Indians for centuries, is Stevia so little known in the States? The book points to big business (money) and government intervention (politics).
Are we surprised by that? Not really.
Thankfully Stevia is available on health food stores shelves today.
The great thing about Stevia is that it has zero calories.
It is very economical too, as it only takes a couple of drops to sweeten your tea or a half teaspoon to sweeten an entire dessert.
Stevia will not lead to tooth decay like sugar will.
Some natural health experts even claim that Stevia is healing to the pancreas and adrenal glands.
Chapter 3 tells us the history and dangers of artificial sweeteners.
How safe are these?Chapter 4 acquaints you with the various forms of Stevia: from whole leaf to green to white powder to liquid concentrates, you will learn which formulation to use for different applications.
Part Two has the recipes.
You will find recipes for pancakes and crepes, muffins, salads, dressings and sauces, beverages and of course - desserts! My family has been using Stevia as a part of our daily life for years and we love it.
My kids reach for the liquid Stevia whenever they make green tea.
My sister uses Stevia to sweeten her coffee.
I have used Stevia in my desserts too.
The book gives you helpful tips on cooking with Stevia.
For instance, if you use too much, oddly enough your food will take on a bitter taste.
There are a few tricks to using Stevia successfully but once you learn them, you can start enjoying the benefits of Stevia.